Having an autonomous vacuum sweep under your feet while you're reclining on the couch was the pinnacle of convenience for a while. Then, emptying that robot's trash bin became too much of a chore. Naturally, the solution was a robot vacuum that empties its own bin.
iRobot's latest take on automated dirt disposal leaves you completely off the hook for weeks (months, actually) at a time. The Roomba S9+ is the most expensive self-emptying robot vacuum(opens in a new tab) on the market, but is it the best?
Everything comes assembled and it's a godsend, honestly
The unpacking process for the Roomba S9+ was SO. EASY. The outside box housed cardboard dividers organizing the vacuum's main pieces, making the setup process extremely self-explanatory. Rather than a million plastic baggies of attachments floating around, the automatic dirt disposal bag was already inserted in the Clean Base and a front brush was already on. (Replacements are included!).
iRobot's app is delightfully attentive
iRobot rolled out a total app overhaul in 2020. I didn't have a Roomba before this so I never experienced the old app, but iRobot Genius blew me away with how devoted to my experience it was. Any connected Roomba owner received this update, even if they had an older model.
I always expect something to go wrong when connecting some new device to my WiFi, and this time was no exception — but that was because I hit "Don't Allow" when faced with a pop-up about connecting to my local network. (My mind is conditioned to get rid of notifications without even reading them.) Even so, syncing the Roomba to my internet and then to my mobile app went smoothly. The iRobot app walked me through everything with friendly, specific steps.
As someone who is essentially helpless the second anything tech-related goes awry, I liked that the iRobot app tells you when the vacuum is stalled and why. Whether it's physically stuck or because it sucked a plushy pizza-shaped cat toy in between its rollers, the app will let you know how to get it back on track — rather than letting you chill for 20 minutes before realizing that you don't hear the vacuum running anymore.
After the Roomba didn't make it to my bathroom on its initial run, I plopped it in there myself. It couldn't find its breadcrumb trail back to its dock in my living room, but the "Hey, your Roomba got lost" notification didn't make me guess why it stopped working.
Vacuum settings in the app also default to "bin full behavior" so that your vacuum won't keep fumbling around while too full to suck anything up.
The "Genius" part comes into play with cleaning suggestions. On top of the schedule you make — like having the vac sweep the kitchen at 8 p.m. every night after you've cooked dinner — the app might recommend adding a recurring command if it's noticing extra dirt in the mudroom or something. If it gets stuck or tangled in the spot multiple times, it may recommend setting up no-go boundary there.
This whole 3D sensor thing makes for great navigation
The S9+ gets more methodical with its plan of attack than last-minute sensors for drops or objects on the floor. Rather than venturing off into your home blindfolded every single time, the S9+ uses vSLAM (visual simultaneous location and mapping) technology to remember the layout of your rooms.
Setting your S9+ loose on a few "Clean everywhere" trips allows it to explore and create a map as it trucks along. Whipping up a full Imprint Smart Map can take three to five runs, depending on how large the space is. If you're impatient (I was), sending the S9+ on a training run speeds up the mapping process by skipping the heavy cleaning to focus on learning.
A handful of also sensors set the S9+ apart from less-advanced vacuums that navigate like a Gen Z-er trying to read a paper road map. The expected cliff sensors keep it from tumbling downstairs, while optical and acoustic sensors watch and listen for roadblocks and debris. The real leader of the operation, though, is a 3D sensor at the head of the machine. iRobot says this window projects a 3D space in front of itself to detect objects in the way, allowing it to pull up more gently on walls, identify corners, or avoid bulldozing into something that could easily get knocked over.
You can't expect a robot vacuum to *never* get stuck, but the S9+ is pretty precise with its driving. Its path rarely got thrown off by barriers, which it would come at from multiple different angles before giving up. A few times, it tried to squeeze itself into odd spaces (like in the legs of a rolling desk chair) and ate random shit I left on the floor that I shouldn't have (like a Polaroid camera with a neck strap). Cords, like phone chargers, aren't impassable, either, but I felt less iffy about the S9+ knocking over my plants than previous vacuums.
The D-shaped robot vacuum should just be standard now
Do round robot vacuums really make sense anymore? Corners hoard most of the debris that gets kicked across the floor. Those corners are right angles that a circular vacuum simply can't fully squeeze into. Side brushes with long bristles help, but it's a bit of a crapshoot.
The Roomba S9+ isn't the only D-shaped robot vacuum on the market, but it is iRobot's only vacuum with a straight edge. I was really pleased with how attentive it was to 90-degree angles. Almost every time, it identified corners (including the outside edge going around a turn) and followed its nose closely along the entire wall.
Pesky places, like between bar stools and beneath cabinets between the stove and refrigerator, were mastered surprisingly well. It wasn't as forceful of a clean as me being a freak with my handheld Dyson, but it was nice to have my brown sugar spill and the cat food area taken care of while I rushed around making other preparations for guests to come over.
Its auto-emptying sounds like a jet engine
I could tell that iRobot considered a multitude of common cleaning scenarios and sticky situations to ensure that the S9+ stayed on top of its job. But that's not to say it's without its quirks.
If you're looking for a quiet robot vacuum, this ain't it. My three-month-old kitten isn't skittish enough to bat an eye at other vacuums or the blender, but she and the Roomba are not friends. Granted, this may be because it's moving toward her at an eerie pace, and Quiet Clean mode was tolerable. However, it'd be a considerably obnoxious addition for households with sensitive pets or children. The few seconds the vac takes to empty its bin into the Clean Base sound like a jet engine taking off beside your house.
The occasional specific room cleaning turning into repeating the path like, four times, takes the drone from pausing your TV show for five minutes and sending the vac home before it's done because it's that distracting. For some, it'll be the type of robot vacuum that you'll only run while you're not home.
I can't completely fault the S9+ for sounding like a construction site. Having 40 times the suction of low-tier Roomba models is just going to create a ruckus. Oddly enough, the hum is noticeably quieter on my rugs and bedroom carpet — which never happens. That's a good sign for someone with lots of carpeted floors.
Add to cart?
iRobot's most advanced robot vacuum strikes a chord with two groups: Those who hate anything to do with vacuuming (including the bin emptying) and those who are really particular about edges and corners. This level of serious convenience could easily be worth the $1,000-plus price tag for people who feel strongly.
Running the S9+ while you're not home is the move for a few reasons. First and foremost, it doesn't require babysitting. Its advanced sensors allow it to navigate around plants and (most) toys, and unlike magnetic boundaries that other vacuums ignore, the S9+ actually recognizes virtual no-go zones(opens in a new tab). Second, the S9+ is almost insufferably loud. However, its straight edge and powerful suction make it a pretty reliable cleaner, so leaving it home alone works out: You avoid the noise and feel confident about coming home to a floor where crumbs won't stick to your feet.
At any rate, the ~40 minutes of roaring is far less of an inconvenience than having to empty the dust bin after every cleaning or two.
